Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-23
trrE SIBERIA.
An tu,eryIew with Lieutenant W. ~.
scheufxe, OF the United
states Navy.
rPhIlndelphia Times.


states Navy.
philadelphia Times.l
Lieutenant ". H. Scheutze, OF the
United States navy, who WAS sent t.
Tie Lena Delta in Northwest arn 81
BERN. to deliver to the natives girts from
the Government of the United States t.
repav them for the aid they rendered
him in his search for the missing mem
bers Of the Jeanette party, has Gently
returned from there. He says tlat the
town Of veroynsk, Siberia, is the cold
est inhabited spot in the world. The
thermometer stood eighty-slx below
zero when he was there, and he says 1t
seldom goes above fifty below 1
asked him the other day what the peo-
pie did who lived at this blssiul spot
what they had to eat, and how they
liked II.
why" he replied they think it is
a pretty good sort o. climate Home,
Sweet Home. Is TIE song all the world
over, and il the Yeroynskers should
come here they would wonder wuat
PEOPLE did whore it Is 50 hot. They
would smother in this climate and PIN"
for a stiff northwesterly Arctic gale. IL
is wonderful the amount Of cold human
flesh can endure. The natives OF Terra
del Fuogo go stark naked the year
round, and in their country 1t freezes
every night. It Is much colder in the
Lena Delta, yet the people manage to
keen. comfortable. and more die OF
smallpox and scuryy than from the ell
fects Of the intense cold. You seldom
hear Of any one freezing to death, and
then It is only those who expose them
selves imprudently. lore people are
frozen to death N IT, Cnited States
than in Siberia.
HOW TIE NATIVES VAIN THEMSELVES
"But how do they manage to keep
waim?'
"Well, in the first place the Yakuts
are an enduring nce, and are born in
that climate. Their houses are built Of
looS, sneared over on the outside and
inside with mud. IN each cabin is e
llrqc fireplace which is used for both
heating and cooking. There is seldom
more than one room in these cabins,
and usually the owners cattle, if he has
any. occupy one end of the room IN
Which be- lives, being tied or prevented
from trampling on the tobies by a bar
The houses are commonly very COM
Portable, but are .ytl.ly dirty, and
smcll-there Is no word t. describe it,
Often until | got used TO it ! would
rather NE down in the snow outside
with the Thermometer I'D degrees below
zero, than sleep in ono of these hats.
Have they windows IN their
houscs?'
Yes. icc windows. They uso ice as
We use glass. \ clear piece Is selected,
about five or sN inches thick, morticed
IN the window opening in blocks two
feet and sometimes as large rs Jour feet
square. and with water is made solid.
] he water is os good rs putty. when
the window becomes dirty they scrpe
II of with knife, and when it has been
scrarcd thin thcy substitute a n"w
pane.
DOESN'T the window ever mclt?"
"Bloss ycu, 10; it is freezing cold
that far from the hrc. If the room
ever got warm enough to melt the Ice the
Yalut couldn't live
How do they sleep? DO tAey un-
drcss when they go to bed?
"Always. They strip to their shirts.
which are made OF thick sort of Bus
| sian cloth as heavy as our canvas. The
mon and women wear the same kind Of
Garments, and never have more than
one mt time. took mp lot OF thick
flannel for them. enough to last the
rest of their lives, and it viii be great
deal more comfortable than the native
? stuff. although they don't like it 1T first
When they uudress they ret into buuks
built in the side OF the house, some
times man, hi wife, aud all his chill
drcn in the same bunk They have
rcindeer-slins under and over them
and curtains Of the same hanging be
fore the hunks The last man on wo-
man To undrcss hangs all the clothing
Of the rest outdoors over "a pole that
IT, Kept for that purpose.
What is that for?
40 freeze the ice. They couldnt
live il they didn't do 1t, and 1T has be
come 10 national custom. The lice get
into the fur, and that is the only way to
get them out. Ey hanging their clothes
over the pole every night they can keep
reasonably free from them, but the far
fills MP again the next day.
DO they ever bathe?'
Never in their lives; they haven't
any word for bathing in their ianFlo5 g.,
and the imposs.oiiity Of keeping "'.an
is one Of the greatest hardships OF Axe.
to- he
"Nhet do they cat?
"Pcndccr meat, bo,,-lhcy mN'
COWS. Quc,r-loohing animals about hllf
~ large rs ours, with a hummo,h on
their backs Ike cancl-tsh, bread
made of hl1tk rye flour, tea, anil mI
| imported food made of chopped beef
lollod INTO baGs about the size OF O.
NAL T. and covered with dough. Mixed
| with reindeer meat it makes good
soup. They often cat their fish raw
| or cojnsc they freeze solid as soon
as thev aIe taken ont OF the V1l"r.
and the native, particularly if De
is On the road, cuts them OF In
shayiuos as thin ms orr Clipped beef
and cats them raw. They are palat!-
be- and have lived for days at u time
on them, with cup OF ten made oyec
an alcohol-hmp by way Of variety
The greatest luxury they have is but
ter. and they VIII cat it by the pound
81, our people cat confectionery 4
loor scrt OF butter is made from tn
milk If the native COW that looks and
tastes more Ike cheese, and they prize
it above all other classes of food
Their drink is the Russian Vodka
almost pure alcohol, and they will trade
their shirts for it. The liquor is scarce
and expensive, so they are necessarily
temperate people
- How do the political exiles live,
and how many are in the country?
"a great many-several III every set
Element. Whonan exile is sent into the
country the Government determines
where he shall reside, and requires him
10 report his whereabouts at frequent
intervals. They live as the natives do,
receive SO much Il year from the GOV
eminent for their support, and work at